SAFAR NAMEH ‘Warum bin ich vergänglich, O Zeus? so fragte die Schönheit. Macht ich doch, sagte der Gott, nur das Vergängliche schön. Und die Liebe, die Blumen, der Tau und die Jugend vernahmens, Alle gingen sie weg weinend von Jupiters Thron.’ GOETHE ‘Now, a traveller is a creature not always looking at sights--he remembers (how often!) the happy land of his birth; he has, too, his moments of humble enthusiasm about fire and food--about shade and drink.’ KINGLAKE SAFAR NAMEH PERSIAN PICTURES _A BOOK OF TRAVEL_ [Illustration: LOGO] LONDON RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen 1894 [_All rights reserved_] CONTENTS PAGE AN EASTERN CITY 1 THE TOWER OF SILENCE 19 IN PRAISE OF GARDENS 28 THE KING OF MERCHANTS 42 THE IMAM HUSSEIN 51 THE SHADOW OF DEATH 67 DWELLERS IN TENTS 83 THREE NOBLE LADIES 96 THE TREASURE OF THE KING 112 SHEIKH HASSAN 126 A PERSIAN HOST 143 A STAGE AND A HALF 156 A BRIDLE-PATH 168 TWO PALACES 187 THE MONTH OF FASTING 205 REQUIESCANT IN PACE 219 THE CITY OF KING PRUSIAS 236 SHOPS AND SHOPKEEPERS 247 A MURRAY OF THE FIRST CENTURY 260 TRAVELLING COMPANIONS 275 ERRATUM. Page 138, line 2, _for_ ‘bouches de cheveux’ _read_ ‘bouches de chevaux.’ ‘PERSIAN PICTURES.’ PERSIAN PICTURES _AN EASTERN CITY_